


Nevermore

by Misen



Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Abduction, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Am I a trendsetter?, Blood Drinking, Captivity, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Existential Crisis, F/M, Forced Kissing, Ghouls, Graphic Description of Corpses, Has anyone done this kind of thing with Kino before?, Infatuation, Kidnapping, Lost Eden plot with HDB themes, Love Triangles, Monsters, Murder, No heroine, Not-so-benevolent dictatorship, Orphans, Sexual Content, Unfortunate sequence of events, Vampires, fite me, guava juice, i warned you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-08 11:35:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16428611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misen/pseuds/Misen
Summary: A life of misfortune takes a turn for the worse when an orphaned girl finds herself in the clutches of a self-proclaimed Vampire Prince.





	1. Rain (雨)

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at 3 in the morning and for some reason, I find myself pretty pleased with how it turned out. I have a habit of telling rather than showing so I tried to keep in mind how to properly build suspense since there's some rather "spooky" material ahead. I hope you enjoy! Much love <3

I turned the rosary over in my hands and, for some reason, found myself remembering how incredibly blue the sky was. On that day, there was not a single cloud above me. Everything was clear and bright and I was mesmerized by it. The vastness of that blue, stretching far past my own comprehension filled me with awe. And I asked myself then, “How could God not exist?” In that open air, surely there couldn’t be nothing, I told myself. Yet, as I hold the crucifix in my hand now, I feel remarkably void of the faith I once held. I suppose as soon as I started questioning my faith, it would begin to crumble and fall away. In that respect, I should have expected my heart to turn this way. Still, even with my empty words, I prayed for her sake. Just like I do every Sunday.

It had become so routine that I almost felt as if today had been the result of some universal malfunction. Things started off normally. I attended mass in the morning, packed myself lunch afterwards, and took a train out to the cemetery in the afternoon. Just as I had every Sunday prior for the past two years. But, instead of having another rather inconsequential visit like I’d grown accustomed to, I found her grave site… completely destroyed. I stood, my entire body fixed to the spot before her grave, transfixed on it. The tombstone had been chipped to pieces, with not even half of it remaining standing. The grass had been torn up, the bared patches covered with scraps of garbage. Flowers that I had left there at the base of the tombstone every Sunday prior had been reduced to mulch. And then, with all strength leaving my body, I collapsed to my knees in the grass and stared helplessly at what was once the grave that belonged to my mother.

At some point, while I sat there, it began to rain. When I noticed it, I looked up at the sky. A bitter, unforgiving, gray sky. There was no sun to be found beyond the clouds, no light. There was nothing bright, nothing worthy of a second glance. In that moment, I had pulled the rosary around my neck off with the intent of throwing it away. I had no reason to keep it, I thought. In my world, in my life, there was no God. No amount of prayers, no amount faith had been reasoned with happiness. Happiness itself was like a dream that I could never make into a reality. It was always vague, always elusive. The closest I ever had was my mother… and even that was pulled away from me. Still, I could not abandon the rosary there. To part with it seemed unimaginable. Dazed, I stalked back to the train station and, by the time I did, I was completely soaked by the rain. With every step I took, my shoes made a disgusting squelching noise and left watery footprints behind me.

Now, on the train, I clutch the rosary tight in the palm of my hand and sigh. Somewhere, in my thousands of swarming thoughts, I tell myself to report the ordeal to the police. Though, I can’t bring myself to bother. It all seems pointless right now. Going back into the city, all I can do is absently stare at the raindrops leaving little streaks against the train’s windows. And then, in the midst of the delicate patter of the rain, I hear voices quietly conversing.

“Look, it’s Odd-Eye. Don’t let her make eye contact or you’ll turn to stone,” one voice whispers.

“She has her eye patch on. If we’re quiet enough, maybe she won’t notice us,” another whispers back.

 _Too late_ , I think. It should bother me, I know it should. And yet, I feel nothing. I can’t even bring myself to turn in their direction. I just feel… empty. I open my closed hand and look at the rosary. It barely catches a proper gleam in the veiled light of the moon, the sapphire gem in the center just barely reflecting back my face. My lonesome eye.  _Perhaps I’ve grown used to it,_ I wonder. I bring my other hand up to the white eye patch on the right side of my face, feeling the soaked cotton beneath my fingers.  _Ever since that day, people have called me Odd-Eye. Perhaps hearing it has become something I’ve come to expect._  When I think of that day, I always remember how blue the sky was. I was just laying back in the grass, staring up at the sky with my mouth gaping open. I don’t know if I even understood my place in the world back then. But now, it’s completely inescapable.

Without a word or glance to the pair who were talking about me, I get off the train at my stop and don’t look back. My feet carry me, still with that god awful sound, without my thoughts to guide them. Down the street, around the corner, through the alleyway, and stopping right outside of the cafe. I look into the windows, everything dark with the chairs stacked onto the tables. I had already assumed that I wouldn’t get back in time to speak to Boss about today. In some ways, I’m thankful for that. I’m not sure if I could even properly explain what is on my mind. All I can think clearly about is going to sleep. I reach deep into the pocket of my shorts and take out my key ring. I have three keys on it, the largest of which opens up the cafe. With ease, I slide the key into the lock and turn it, waiting to hear that same old click. But… it doesn’t come.

Suddenly, it’s as if the mist shrouding my mind has dissipated. My arms become tense, the rest of my body firmly planted where I stand as I stare at the doorknob. Slowly, I turn the key again to unlock the door just to confirm what I’m already thinking. And just as I thought, the door wasn’t locked to begin with. Cautiously, I push the door open and hear the ring of the bell. It’s strange to hear that ring and have it not be followed with a “welcome”. I can’t remember the last time I came back after closing time. The cafe stretches out before me, my shadow aligned ominously in the center of the doorway. As I step inside, lightning surges through the sky and briefly illuminates the dark cafe, followed by the menacing growl of thunder. But, I continue further into the cafe and close the door gently behind me, locking it. I look around, searching for any sign that someone may be inside with me. However, everything is in its rightful place. Nothing seems to be off. And yet, I can’t shake the feeling of someone else’s presence.

Even without much light, I follow my memory of the cafe’s layout and go straight to the kitchen.  _I’m being paranoid,_  I tell myself.  _It’s possible that Boss forgot to lock up tonight._  But, I still make a bee-line for Boss’s knife block. I pull out the largest one there and hold it tightly in my hand. And just as I get a good handle on it, I hear the shuffling of footsteps… coming from directly above me… where my apartment is. I go to the far end of the kitchen, near the back door and approach the staircase that leads upstairs. For the past two years, I’ve lived alone in that apartment- Boss was kind of enough to allow me to rent it as I long as I worked at the cafe- so hearing footsteps sends a chill dancing down my spine. Holding the knife in one hand, I take my phone out of my pocket with the other. I turn the touch feedback volume all the way down before dialling 1-1-9.

“Hello, what is your emergency?” the operator answers almost immediately.

“Someone has broken into my apartment,” I reply as quietly as I can.

I slowly begin inching my way up the stairs, hugging the left side of the wall. The staircase is hardly lit at all so my ascent is mostly me going by my memory and feeling out each step. I’ve learned not to rely on my sight as much over the years.

“Alright, what is your address?” the operator asks.

“Teddy’s Cafe, 43 Nishiyou Street, Kaminashi, Japan. I live alone in the apartment above the cafe,” I tell her.

“Okay, I will send police to your location right away. Are you currently in the building?” she asks me just as I make it to the landing.

“Yes, I am,” I answer.

Only a few more steps until I reach the hallway.

“Ma’am, please go outside and wait for the police to arrive. Do not engage with the intruder for your own safety,” she tells me.

Actually, going back outside never crossed my mind. When she tells me to do so, I feel as though that would be a smarter option. But it is one I don’t seriously consider. The thought of the intruder possibly escaping with something of mine is more than I care to endure right now. I don’t have many valuable things in my apartment. There’s just two things in there that are more valuable to me than anything. And I wouldn’t dare turn around and let them be taken.

“Ma’am, are you still there? Please leave the building and wait for the police to arrive,” she tells me once more.

Instead of doing what she says, I simply press “mute” on my phone screen and go into the hallway. There is just enough light for me to see clearly from the single window at the end of the hall and plain as day, I see the door to my apartment wide open. I bend down, not dropping my gaze from the doorway, and silently slip off my wet shoes and socks. Then, I continue further down the hall and approach the doorway. I draw the knife back, prepared to use it if necessary. The closer I get to the door, I begin to hear the voices of two men. However, I cannot make out what they’re saying. Maybe it’s the sound of the rain or my own heart thumping loudly in my ears, but I can’t hear them clearly. I stand beside the doorway, my back flush back against the wall. I put my phone back into my pocket carefully, without hanging up, and hold the knife with both hands. In this moment, my hands should be shaking but I find myself surprisingly steady.

The voices seem to get closer as time passes, and from the tone, I can tell the two men are arguing about something. I start trying to construct some kind of plan. I could be at an advantage if I move quickly enough. The doorway can only fit one person at a time so I could take down the first one out of the apartment. With a swift movement, I could get the second one if they were directly behind the first. However, if they were to leave at different times, taking down the first one would only alert the second one to my presence and give them time to find a weapon to use against me. And while I am confident enough using a knife, I’m not sure I would do well against a grown man wielding one as well. And if I am unable to take down the first one, I wouldn’t stand any chance whatsoever. As I think over the scenarios, it only reaffirms that the operator was right. I shouldn’t engage the intruder. It couldn’t possibly work out for me. But still… I can’t just risk letting them take away the things she gave to me. I won’t.

All of the sudden, I hear an ungodly sound erupt from my apartment. Mingled with a desperate grunt is the unmistakable sound of tearing flesh. I hear a smug laugh before glass shatters and all becomes quiet. There is absolutely no movement. I begin to think that perhaps the number of men I had to worry about fending off has been reduced suddenly. However, on that same note, it would mean that the other had some kind of weapon to use already. If that’s the case, I’m absolutely doomed if the man finds me before I can attack him. Surprise is really the only possible advantage I have in this case. So with this in mind, I widen my stance and slowly bring myself to peer into the apartment. I can hear the rain pouring loudly, roaring outside. The first thing I see is my apartment window, shattered. Bent over the same is someone’s unmoving body. From this point, all that’s visible of them is their legs and a fresh pool of red forming beneath them. But… no other person.

Seeing that person’s body is enough to send a series of tremors through my own. And the fact that I can’t see the culprit only adds to my anxiety. My resolve wavers as I come to the realization that I am not simply dealing with intruders… but a killer. A killer that I cannot find. I cannot bring myself to move any further into the doorway and risk being seen. The urge to run outside to safety starts to build in the pit of my stomach and the smell of blood becomes potent in the air. Still, I cannot move from this spot. I know I should not, I should flee to safety like the operator said, but I cannot simply turn around. If I don’t have what she gave to me, there is no point. All of this is worthless. Even my life. It’s incredibly stupid to think this way. I’m well aware of it. But knowing that isn’t enough to stop me. I force myself to move, creeping further into the doorway and bracing myself for an attack.

The first thing that registers is the incredible speed hurtling towards me as I enter the apartment. Some black figure flies towards my head and instinctively, I drop down to the my knees as it flies past me and out of the apartment. There’s a familiar cawing noise I hear as it goes out of sight. The caw of a raven. But I don’t linger on it for long. I get back onto my feet and prepare myself to fight. But… nothing else comes at me. With shaky feet, I go about the small space of my apartment like a crazy person with the knife in my hands. But, there’s not a single soul other than mine in the place. When I know that my bedroom is clear, I check to make sure everything is still in its rightful place. On my desk is my drawing monitor and propped up against the wall is my guitar. While I’m happy that nothing seems to be stolen, I can’t draw a breath of relief. I rush back out to the living area and pull my phone out of my pocket, slowly approaching the body laid on my window frame.

I unmute the call and hear the operator repeatedly asking me if I’m still on the line.

“I’m sorry…” I say.

My voice is weak as I come to see the full extent of what has happened in my apartment.

“What’s happened? Are you alright?” she asks me.

“I’m fine… but… please tell the police that someone has been killed in my apartment,” I tell her.

There’s no doubt about it. No matter how I look at it, I’m facing a dead body. A dead person… I understand what it means in theory. But looking at one is a completely different situation.

“Ma’am, the police will be there shortly! Please wait outside,” she tells me.

And this time I listen. I flip on as many lights as possible and go back downstairs. Just as I go outside, the police pull up and file out of their cars. One darts over to me and pulls away from the building with urgency, but the others all stand completely still. They look stupefied, staring up at where the window of my apartment is. I turn, looking up towards the window and my jaw falls. Mounted there is the upper half of the man’s body. His stomach and chest flayed open as if he were a gutted fish. His face and dark, greenish hair have been stained a deep, blackish-red color. Stunned, I turn and find myself doubling over. I retch, throwing up whatever remained in my stomach after today. The officer who had been holding me patted my back gently, keeping me from turning around again.

“Get the chief down here… Start searching the apartment, look for any clue as to where this bastard could be,” one of the officers instructed.

Then, like clockwork, they all dispersed and began investigating.

“Are you okay?” the officer with me asked.

I shook my head, unable to stand up straight. My head was spinning. The world had shifted beneath me, the road I was standing on was undulating violently and I was left trying to stay balanced.

“Please, hang in there. I know this has been a rough night for you. Come sit down for a moment,” the officer tells me.

Carefully, he leads me over to one of the cars and positions me to sit against it. I try to take a deep breath but it only comes out as a shallow pant.

“That’s it, just breathe,” the officer encourages. “Everything will be okay… Eve.”

 _Eve…_? With a puzzled look, I look up at the officer. He looks back at me with beaming red eyes and a boyish smirk. I can’t quite place it, but his voice sounds…

“My name isn’t…”

I’m unable to finish my sentence. All of the sudden, I feel a heaviness sink onto me. I’m unable to keep my eye open for very long. In only a matter of seconds, I’ve slumped over into the arms of the officer and started to doze off.

“You should be thanking me,” I hear him say as he lifts me up into his arms. “After all, I’m the prince who just slayed the dragon for you.”

It all becomes apparent who the man is carrying me. I’m not sure how he did it, or moreover, why but I can feel it in my gut… This man is the one who killed that guy. He’s no officer…  _Why… why am I falling asleep_ , I ask myself. My entire body relaxes in his grasp and I’m helpless to him. My senses dull as I’m lulled deeper. All I can hear as my consciousness fades is the sound of the rain and the flapping of a bird’s wings.

_The sky was so blue..._


	2. Evening (夜)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arisa awakens in a strange place and has her first real encounter with the devilish man who captured her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh~ Updates! What a wonderful thing! I'm so happy to continue this story and happy I was able to knock out writing this chapter in a single sitting. Hopefully you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Much love <3

 The smell of rot is the first thing to register when my senses return. The scent is like that of decaying fruit and it’s enough to make my stomach churn. Without opening my eyes, I bring my hand up to my face and bury my nose in the sleeve of my shirt. And then, as if something’s hit the back of my head, I remember what happened tonight. The intruders, the man mounted on my window with his torso split wide open and… the man who carried me off from the scene. I lost consciousness at some point for some reason and now, I have no idea where I am. I try to remember everything that man said to me as he carried me away.  _You should be thanking me… After all, I’m the prince who just slayed the dragon for you._  I assume by dragon, he meant the dead man. But, it doesn’t make sense. If he killed the man in my apartment, how did I not cross paths with him. There’s only one door out of the apartment and the drop from the second story is too far. Not to mention he arrived again with the police.

Now that I think about it, the other officers didn’t even seem to notice me… or him. I thought it was only natural that they’d be fixated on the corpse, since it was all rather grotesque, but I don’t think a single one of them actually looked at me.  _It can’t be possible that they didn’t see me, right,_  I ask myself. Another question soon enters my mind and it’s one that makes my entire body rigid.  _Where am I now?_  My eyes are still closed and I feel as though I’m laying down on something soft. There’s that miserable smell hanging densely in the air. It’s even becoming a bit hard to breathe. As for my surroundings, it’s almost silent except for the distant sound of a ticking clock. And I feel… eerily alone. Laying here, I try to bolster myself up and gain the courage to open my eyes. With each second that ticks past, however, I become more and more afraid of what I might see.

Still, I know that nothing will come of me staying in the dark. I swallow the fear with a strained gulp and slowly lift my heavy eyelids. It takes a bit of time for my vision to focus and due to the lack of what is visible, I find that I’m laying on my left side. Slowly, and gently, I lift myself up with my stiff limbs and sit up. I’m in a bed, a nice one that molds around my body, with a canopy above me. The room I’m in is dim, only illuminated by the flickering light of a candle standing on the bedside table. There are two doors on the wall facing me, to my left is an unlit fireplace, and to my right is a desk and wardrobe. When my eye finds the desk, I see my drawing monitor and guitar, arranged in a similar fashion to how they were placed in my room. Even though I’m happy to see the monitor and guitar, I’m not so easily relieved. I still have absolutely no idea what is going on or where I am. More importantly, I have no idea how to escape.

With more urgency now, I move to the edge of the bed and place my bare feet on the cold, wooden floor. The chill sends a shock through my body, making my heart ache. However, I don’t stop. I bring myself to stand up and go towards the doors. I find it strange. Just some time ago, I was prepared to face death if it meant keeping my possessions. Now, I can’t help of think of that man’s body and at my most basic level, I know I do not want to end up like him. Even if something strange is going on, I don’t want to find out. I want to go home. I reach one of the doors and press my ear up against it, trying to hear if there’s a voice outside. But, rather than a voice, I hear footsteps. Footsteps rapidly becoming louder. I step back from the door, my entire body trembling. I look around the room, trying to find something to use as a weapon. I go over to the fireplace, in hopes of finding a poker, but there’s nothing of the sort. There’s not a single sharp object in the entire room!

Before I can think of another plan, the door opens and a familiar man walks in. The man who carried me away. I freeze as his eyes meet mine, my heart beat becoming erratic. It’s odd, but without the uniform on, it seems as if he’s around my age. I can’t say whether that’s a good or a bad thing but it does nothing to settle my nerves.

“Ah, you’re finally awake,” he says as if he’d been waiting for years.

He steps towards me and I instinctively step back, running into one of the bed posts. How long was I unconscious for?

“Hm~? Why are you acting so scared? You look like a caged animal,” he hums.

In the blink of an eye, he’s suddenly standing right in front of me. His face is mere inches from mine, his eyes narrow and look down at me.

“Although, I don’t mind your frightened expression. It’s kind of cute,” he says.

I can’t even think of a response. I look past him, at the open door. A long hallway lies beyond the doorway, leading into some kind of common room. This looks the layout of a standard house and surely there would be an exit. But, I don’t think I’d be fast enough to outrun him. After all, he moves in a blur that’s almost inhuman. I look back at his face, glowing with the light from the candle. He smirks at me and presses his body against mine, pinning me flush against the bedpost.

“You’re not thinking of running off, are you?” he asks.

There’s a dangerous glint in his red eyes, one that urges me to speak. But… what would I even say? Obviously I want to run away. He’s abducted me and taken me to some horrible place.

“I don’t want to be here…” I say quietly. “I want to go home.”

The smirk leaves his face immediately, its place taken by a scowl.

“That really… hurts to hear you say that. After all the trouble I went through for you, bringing your things here and saving you from that guy. You can’t even thank me for my hard work,” he says.

His voice has become cold. With an abrupt movement, he grabs me by my shoulders with an icy grip and shoves me to the side with impressive force. I fall, as ungracefully as possible, to the floor. Somewhat stunned, I look up at him and he begins to laugh.

“Well, that’s a good expression you’re giving me. You look good beneath me. Maybe I’ll forgive you if I see more of that look,” he chuckles.

I bite the inside of my cheek and try to stand, only for him to push me down again.

“Still, I did an awful lot for you and still haven’t been thanked for it. Isn’t the proper thing to do when someone saves you is give them a reward to show your gratitude?” he asks me.

“You keep saying that… That you saved me… You killed that guy like that-”

“I did,” he interjects before I can finish. “You have no idea what that guy was planning to do to you. So, for your sake, I got rid of him.”

I look up at him, completely bewildered. He’s not wrong. I didn’t know what that guy was doing in my apartment, or what his intentions were. Surely, they couldn’t have been good. But still… to kill him in such a horrific way. There’s no way I can say that the guy standing before me now is any better.

“Well, that’s not entirely true. I killed him for my sake as well,” he laughs.

He comes towards me and again, I try to back away. But this time, he stamps his foot down on top of mine. I clench my jaw to keep from crying out and in the meantime, he pins me down against the floor. His knee rests firmly on my abdomen and his cold hands form cuffs around my wrists. I try to move, to resist, but it only ends with him pressing his knee further into my body and his grip tightening.

“Who are you?! What do you want with me?!” I ask, my eyes stinging as I try to hold back tears.

His face softens a bit in response to my question but he begins to smirk again almost immediately.

“My name is Kino. I’m a prince,” he states, beaming with arrogance.

“Prince? The prince of what?!” I ask.

By now, I’m unable to stop the tears from rolling down my face. No matter how strong I try to be in this circumstance, I’m simply not strong enough. With ease, he holds me down and laughs at me. I feel pathetic and helpless… as if I’m a five-year-old again. But there is no blue sky, there is no God here. There’s only a monster and a dark, cracked ceiling. Kino chuckles and he gives me a mischievous smile.

“You’re really stupid to have not figured it out yet,” he says. “That guy who broke into your apartment was a vampire. He also happened to be my uncle, the brother of the Vampire King. Which makes me… the Prince of Vampires.”

 _Prince… of Vampires_. There’s some disturbed part of me that nearly bursts out laughing, but externally, I’m too startled to do much more than tremble. It’s impossible… Things like vampires are just myths, aren’t they? Things that people made up to explain the bumps in the night. And yet, Kino said it so casually, so matter-of-factly that I can’t bring myself to argue with him. He smiles again and I can see clearly why he’s doing so. It’s hard to see in the candlelight, but in his upper teeth, right where his canines should be, there are two large- and incredibly sharp- fangs. I tell myself over and over in my mind that it’s fake, it’s all one horrible joke. But, I can’t bring myself to believe it. No matter how I look at it, I’m being held down by a vampire… a real vampire. I can’t even begin to understand…

“Ha ha,” he chuckles. It must show on my face that I believe what he says. “As for what I want… even you can guess.”

“You… You want my blood…” I answer.

My voice is choked up and weak. It must be like music to his ears because he smirks and looks at me with sharp, hungry eyes.

“Bingo… Now, shall we count this as my reward?” he laughs.

“Let me go!” I cry out.

But my cries fall on deaf ears. His head dips down and he eyes my neck carefully, looking for a prime location.

“I’m the first to bite… How nice~,” he hums. “Thank you for the meal.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and hope that it won’t hurt. Tears still stream freely down the side of my face and I gnaw at the inside of my cheek more. Then, I feel his breath tickle over my neck like a ghost and the tips of his fangs graze over my skin. I force myself to stop trembling, knowing it’ll only hurt more if I’m moving.  _I don’t want this_ … With a grunt, I feel his fangs pierce my skin and dig deep into my flesh. Just as he bites down, I bite into my cheek harder and taste a bitter, metallic flavor.  _I want to go home… Mama!_  I hear him swallow thickly and he continues to suck my blood. It’s surreal to think that something like this is happening. I’m almost dazed by it, only remaining present because of the pain I feel. He groans and releases my wrists, scooping me up into his arms without his fangs parting from my neck. He holds me up, moving into a sitting position with me on his lap and his arms coiled tightly around my waist. He shows no sign of stopping and I can feel the warmth of my own body slip away into his.  _How much is he drinking…? Is he going to kill me? No, he wouldn’t. Why would he bring all of my things to this place if he were to just kill me now?_

Just then, he pulls his fangs out and pants heavily. His tongue probes the bite, sending an unholy shiver down my spine. I take the opportunity while he isn’t biting me and place my hands on his chest, pushing him away best I can. But, it’s not far enough. In fact, I don’t think it even registers with him that I am trying to fight him off. He looks as if he’s hypnotized, staring at my neck.

“It’s so good… It’s better than anything I’ve ever tasted before. I could become addicted,” he speaks, licking the bite once more.

My blood dribbles down from the corner of his mouth and I feel dizzy just seeing it. He really… he really drank my blood. It’s real… I end up clutching onto his shirt, just trying to keep myself from completely falling limp in his arms. He looks at my face with a satisfied grin and wipes my blood from his chin with his hand.

“Hm… I only bit you in once place, but you’re bleeding somewhere else…” he says darkly.

I press my lips together, but it’s no use. He leans in swiftly and fits his lips to mine. His tongue runs over my mouth, but I keep it clamped shut firmly. He growls, his timbre becoming deeper. He squeezes me tightly, effectively knocking the air out of me and forcing me to gasp involuntarily. And without missing a beat, he forces his tongue into my mouth. I groan with disgust, that metallic flavor flooding my mouth. He licks the inside of my cheek until it stops bleeding and by the point, I’m entirely exhausted. He ends the horrible exchange with a bruising kiss and pulls himself back to look at my face. I’m wavering his grasp, unable to open my eyes all the way. I grip onto his shirt tighter which only makes him laugh more.

“No doubt about it. You’re my Eve,” he says.

“That’s not my name,” I insist as the room begins to spin.

“Oh, I know. You go by… Matarai Arisa, don’t you?” he says. “But, as far as the plan goes, you’re my one and only Eve.”

 _Plan… what plan?_  I can’t even bring myself to ask the question out loud. I don’t have the strength to. My vision is blurring. I’m trying so desperately to stay awake, but it’s no use. He drank so much of my blood…

“Tch,” I hear him click his tongue. I can’t tell, but I think he’s looking at my right eye. “I want to see all of your face.”

His hand comes towards my face, his fingers disappearing from my view as they approach my right side. I feel him tug on my eye patch and then see him pulling it away. I blink a few times, the last of my tears falling down from my eyes.

“Ugh… what a gross eye,” he grimaces.

Everything goes black then. I’ve lost consciousness once again. And the only thing I can clearly understand is that I hate him. I hate Kino. I hate what he is, I hate how he’s treated me, I hate that he’s abducted me and taken me to this horrible place. I hate him.

More than anything, however, I hate my eye.

When people see it, they also turn up their nose in disgust. Or they say how sorry they are for me, how hard it must be. The kids in my school growing up always made a joke about it. To them, I was cursed or I was a witch. They started calling me Odd-Eye and telling others not to look directly at me. That’s all I’ve heard for the past 12 years. No one even bothered to think that my eye was just a result of me being hit too hard. That, even if I couldn’t see out of it, it didn’t mean that it was something inherently bad or scary. Nobody ever stopped to consider how saying those things would make me feel.

That day, I was in the orphanage yard. All the other kids were playing while I was drawing. Father Uemi, who led the orphanage I grew up in and the church associated with it, had given me a sketchpad and pencil since I had expressed to him that I wanted to learn how to draw. I wasn’t good at sports like the other kids and I didn’t really like spending time inside with the nuns. So, I would sit in the yard and draw whatever I saw that interested me. Wild flowers, bugs, people. To this day, I don’t know why they picked me. Five kids who lived in the orphanage with me, two boys and three girls, came up to me that day and without a word, just started hitting me. I couldn’t even think of what to do. I just laid there, in shock, as they punched and kicked me. I had turned onto my left side at some point, leaving the brunt of the attack to my right side. Honestly, I don’t even remember it. When they were satisfied, they left me lying there in the grass.

I turned over and just stared up at the sky. My right eye had swelled closed, but I wouldn’t have been able to tell due to the amount of pain I was in. I just remember that the sky was so blue that day… And even though I felt horrible, I had so much hope. I felt stronger because of the faith I had. And I always believed that the good things that followed me afterwards were because of God. Being adopted by my mother, the gifts she gave me, the joy I felt from having someone love me. But now, I can’t hold onto my faith. I can’t believe there is a God. I never took my anger out on anyone else, I always turned the other cheek, I always prayed… so why? Why am I still in pain?

What’s going to become of me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be a little less feelsy, probably. I'm excited to get past these introductory chapters and really get into the meat of the story. I already know how it's going to end so I'm excited to get there.


	3. Chapter Three: Promise (約束)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arisa ventures out of her room in search of something to eat and finds herself on the receiving end of Kino's bad temper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I went a bit heavier with Kino being an asshole this chapter than I intended but hey, development is important, right? Also, the wonderful Yuri makes an appearance. And poor Arisa cannot catch a break. Maybe next chapter will be more light-hearted? Who knows? Thank you for reading! Much love <3

When I wake up, I find myself laying in bed once more. My face is wet. I wonder if I had been crying in my sleep. I stay still in bed, trying to remember if I had dreamt of something sad or if I was just overwhelmed by what has happened to me. Perhaps both. It would be reasonable for me to be upset. I gently dab my face dry with the sleeve of my shirt and sit up in bed. My body feels unnaturally heavy so I have to lean back against the headboard of the bed to stay upright. I rub my eyes tenderly, a bit surprised when I feel my right eye instead of the eye patch. Then, I remember.  _What a gross eye._  I purse my lips together and fold my arms, hearing his mocking laughter play in my mind.

Suddenly, a low grumble breaks the silence of the room. I look down at myself, hearing the rumble coming from stomach. I don’t even know how long it’s been since I’ve eaten. I look up at the door, remembering that there was a common room down the hallway. Surely if Kino doesn’t intend to kill me, he’d have to feed me. I give myself an affirmative hum and begin the process of getting out of bed. It’s a bit taxing, since I’m not so steady on my feet, but I manage. I stand up, and with small steps, make my way over to the door. I take a moment to rest, leaning against the wall, and then pull the door open. With a deep breath, I make my way down the hall using the wall to support myself. I listen for the sound of a voice also, since I’m not sure if I’m allowed to leave my room and don’t want to find out the wrong way.

However, I reach the common room with ease and my stomach growls again. I step further into the room, scanning it for anything that looks edible. And then suddenly, I feel a cold breath against my neck.

“Trying to run off?” Kino asks in toying tone of voice.

I turn and look up at him, shaking my head quickly and nearly making myself dizzy in the process.

“I… was looking for something to eat. I’m hungry…” I tell him.

As if by cue, my stomach growls loudly. I feel heat in my face as Kino’s eye narrow on mine.

“Well, then… if you ask nicely, I’ll give you something to eat,” he says.

I sigh, feeling even more embarrassed by his request. Although, I suppose it couldn’t possibly be that easy.

“I’m very hungry so please, give me something to eat,” I say, unable to meet his eyes.

I feel pathetic.

“Hmm,” he hums, tapping his finger against his chin. “No good, do it again. This time, with more feeling.”

“No, this is ridiculous,” I say without thinking.

I immediately want to take the words back after I say them. Though I’m not looking at his face, I know he can’t be happy with me refusing to do what he says.  _What is wrong with me? This isn’t the situation to be prideful in,_ I tell myself. But still… who would I be if I just obeyed?

“What’s ridiculous? You’re hungry, aren’t you? Do you think so highly of yourself that you can’t ask for food properly?” he asks.

I try to deny what he’s said, but I don’t have time to do so. He’s grabbed a fistful of my hair and forced me to my knees. I clasp my hands around his, trying to undo his grip but it’s no use. He only holds my hair tighter, tugging on it with full regard to how painful it will be for me.

“Now, let’s do it right! Ask my forgiveness and beg me to feed you and I’ll reconsider,” he demands.

“Let go of me,” I tell him, digging my fingernails into the wooden floorboards.

“That doesn’t sound like an apology to me,” he sneers, yanking harder.

“It wasn’t! I didn’t do anything wrong! You’re the one hurting me!” I cry out, looking up at him.

His eyes are ablaze with rage. But, I can’t bring myself to care. I’m angry as well. Not just with him, but with everything. He has no right… they had no right. I’m a person, too. I get hurt just like they do. So, why? Why am I being treated like this? I ask myself that question, but there’s good answer I can find.

“You’re really a genius at pissing me off, you know that? Especially… when you look at me with that hideous eye of yours,” he says, bending down to meet my eye level.

I tighten my jaw, glaring at him. He’s just fueling the anger I feel.

“It’s really gross when I look at it up close,” he says, looking at the right side of my face. “I wonder if I’d feel better plucking it out…”

My lips part slightly, knowing fully that he may actually do such a thing to me.

“What do you say? Let’s do it now! I’ll just put my fingers here and rip it right out,” he says.

I can feel his fingers press back into the socket of my eye, though I cannot see him doing it. In a way, that’s even more terrifying. Yet, his movements are slow. Slow enough that I can tell he won’t actually do it… not if I comply. He smirks at me, probably realizing that I’ve seen through what he’s doing. His expression speaks to me, asking me what I’ll choose. And then, without warning, he jabs his fingers in further.

“I’m sorry!” I cry out. “Please, forgive me! I’m sorry, Kino! I’m sorry! Please, don’t!”

“Really? Wouldn’t I be doing you a favor, taking this ugly thing out?” he asks with a triumphant grin.

“No, please, don’t take it out! I’m sorry for what I said… Please, even if you don’t feed me, just don’t take my eye out!” I say.

Tears begin to spill from my eyes beyond my control. I feel Kino’s finger pull back from my face and his hand release my hair. I fall forward, face first onto the floor. My entire body is limp and even if I tried, I don’t have the strength to move from this spot. Kino huffs and stands up, stepping over me and going into the common room. All I can do is weep like a child.

“Kino,” an unfamiliar voice speaks.

“What is it, Yuri?” Kino asks.

There’s the sound of something scraping against the floor and I hear Kino exhale casually, as if I’m not even here.

“I’ve prepared some food for us. Should I give her some?” the person, Yuri, asks.

I hear Kino mumble to himself for a moment before speaking.

“Sure. It’d be troublesome if she ended up starving before I can get what I want,” Kino responds.

“Right,” Yuri says without hesitation.

I hear approaching footsteps, but I still cannot find the strength to move. I feel so pathetic.

“Can you stand?” Yuri asks me.

“No…” I answer sorrowfully

“I see. Then please, excuse me,” Yuri says.

Suddenly, my arm is lifted up and draped over Yuri’s shoulder. I look up at him with wet, tear-filled eyes. His face is complete void of emotion, yet seems gentler somehow. At least compared to Kino’s. He quickly leads me over to the table in the common room where Kino is seated at and helps me sit in a chair.

“Thank you,” I say to him.

He doesn’t respond, he simply goes off into another room. I sniffle and wipe my eyes, then gingerly try to smooth out my hair. My head throbs with the slightest touch, but I think I manage to improve my appearance to some degree. And though we are facing one another, I avoid Kino’s eyes to the best of my abilities. Still, I can feel his gaze boring into me as if he expects me to say something. I sniffle once more and decide to comply.

“Thank you, too, Kino… for letting me eat,” I say.

I’m not grateful to him at all, but… it would be worse if I said nothing, right?

“What’s this? Already changing your tune?” he asks.

“It’s not like that… I’m just grateful…” I say. “It would be impolite if I didn’t thank you, right?”

It’s a lie but I say with as much conviction as I can.

“Hm… Hey, why don’t I tell you a little bit about myself since we’re going to be sharing a meal together?” he asks with a cheerful voice.

Yuri returns, setting two wooden bowls in front of us, as well as two mugs. In Kino’s is a pinkish colored liquid that smells like fruit. And in mine is a scentless, slightly gray liquid that I can only hope to be water. In the bowls, there’s a mash of some kind of greasy looking meat and a vegetable that smells like boiled cabbage but lacks color entirely. The mash itself has separated because of the grease.

“Ah~! Guava juice!” Kino says gleefully, bringing the cup to his lips and quickly drinking the juice with relish.

Yuri gives me a fork and disappears into another room once again. I hold the fork in my hand, unsure of where to begin. Kino sets the cup down and draws out a long, guava scented breath before looking at me once again.

“Right, where was I?” he asks me.

“You… were going to tell me about yourself,” I answer, cautiously stabbing my fork into the meat.

Grease bubbles up out of the meat and I nearly gag seeing it.

“That’s right. You see, there’s a few things I really hate. And one of those things is liars,” he says.

His tone suddenly drops, becoming dark and scolding.

“So, even if you hate me, I’d rather you just be honest about it. I don’t particularly mind… as long as you do whatever I tell you to,” he says.

“I understand,” I say, bring the meat up to my mouth.

Under any other circumstance, I wouldn’t touch this food. Kino seems to be eating it with no problem, but I’m having trouble just taking the first bite. My stomach gurgles, reminding me that even if it’s terrible, it is something to eat. So I close my eyes and set the chunk of meat on my tongue. Carefully, I begin to chew it and I feel as if I have no hope of getting this meal down. My entire mouth is permeated with a dirt-like flavor, along with some kind of foreign grittiness that comes from chewing the meat. It’s… horrible.

“It tastes bad, doesn’t it?” Kino asks me.

I open my eyes and look at him. His bowl is entirely empty already. He must’ve just swallowed whatever he put into his mouth immediately. I try to swallow and think of how to answer. He told me not to lie, but wouldn’t he be angry if I said it was bad? I don’t even want to think of what he might do if I really piss him off again…

“It’s not great,” I say quietly.

“Of course it isn’t. Nothing grows here and the meat is no good, either. Even the water is bad,” he says.

Kino gently swirls the remaining juice in his cup, staring at it wistfully. I look past him, at the windows in the common room. It’s night time, but… I can’t see anything but the sky and a dark gray ground. There’s no buildings or houses…

“Where are we?” I ask him.

“Rotigenbelk,” he answers, but it does nothing to alleviate my confusion. I’ve never heard of such a place.

Kino looks up from his cup and at me.

“It’s a horrible place. The people here are constantly unhappy and underfed. If they saw you poking at your food like that, they’d probably hit you,” he says.

I shift uncomfortably in the chair, looking down at the bowl of food. Should I feel lucky I got even this much?

“You look so unsatisfied, it’s annoying… Do you even have any idea how hard it is to get that much in this place?” he asks me.

I shake my head, digging the fork back into the food.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t realize things were like that here,” I say.

In an effort to amend the guilt welling up in my gut, I take a mouthful of the food. It’s horrible but I try to follow Kino’s method and swallow it all at once without thinking about the taste. It’s not the best, but I can do it. I continue this technique until I’ve eaten everything. The food sits in my stomach like a rock, but it’s filling enough.

“Um… Kino?” I begin.

“What?” he asks me.

“Where is Rotigenbelk?” I ask.

Kino’s lips twist up into that mischievous smirk and he leans forward.

“You really don’t know anything, do you? It’s a pain, but I’ll be kind and teach you,” he begins. “The place I’ve brought you to is what a human might consider to be Hell.”

Hell seems like an apt word to use, but… he says it so seriously that it sends a chill across the nape of my neck.

“More specifically, this place is located in the world of demons, where things like vampires and ghouls exist. Rotigenbelk is where the ghouls were forced to live,” he explains.

I furrow my brows, looking out the window again. He’s telling me… that I’m currently in the world of demons? Yet, somehow, I’m not overcome with surprise. If something like a vampire exists then why wouldn’t another world exist as well? I sink back in my chair, a bit jarred by the fact that something like that makes sense to me.

“You said ghouls live here… but you also said you were the Prince of Vampires. So… why did you bring me to this place?” I ask him.

He hums, standing up from his chair and walking around the table. I shudder as he comes to stand behind me. I look up at him, a bit fearful that I’ve said something wrong. But the look on his face is completely radiant. It’s as if he’s been waiting for me to ask.

“That’s because I am the Chosen One,” he states. “I’m the one who will save the ghouls and bring them to the Promised Land. That’s my destiny.”

I take in what he’s said and thus far… I can’t help but think Kino is absolutely insane. To talk about himself so highly, it’s like hearing those false prophets talk about how God specifically chose them to deliver some message. But, the more I look at Kino’s face, I notice the look in his eyes. It’s not that of a mad man. Though his tone and expression are full of conviction, his eyes are hollow and even… sad.

“And you are how I’ll fulfill my destiny,” he says.

In the blink of an eye, Kino has lifted me up from my chair. I yelp, terrified that he might hurt me again, but he only lays me face up on the table. Some of his juice spills from his cup onto my chest and he frowns.

“Look what you’ve done. You made me spill my guava juice,” he pouts, looking down at me.

“You spilled it!” I blurt out before immediately clamping my mouth shut.

_Have I learned nothing?!_

“No, I think it’s your fault. How are you going to make it up to me?” he asks.

I sigh, looking up at him. I have no idea what to say or how I should react. Kino looks up and down my body before grinning.

“I had a brilliant idea,” he hums.

Kino begins tugging my shirt off my shoulders, exposing more and more of my chest. Mortified, I try to swat his hands away but, unbothered, he dumps the rest of his juice on my bare skin. I shiver, feeling the cold liquid spread over my skin.

“What are you doing?!” I shout at him, unable to restrain the anger in my voice.

He only chuckles and gets on top of me, pinning me to the table.

“You should understand. I have a bad taste in my mouth from the food so I thought I’d have something sweet,” he says.

I freeze, realizing he intends to drink my blood more. I want to fight back, I really do. But, I know it’s hopeless. He said it himself, he doesn’t care if I hate him as long as I obey. He may not kill me, but he’ll certainly torture me up to that point. No matter what I do, it’s a miserable situation. No matter what, I’m going to be tossed around however he sees fit. All I can do, until I think of something better, is endure. So, as he sinks his fangs into my neck, I don’t fight him. Instead, I make a promise to myself.

_I will find a way to escape… even if it means I have to find a way to kill him._

I ball my hands into fists and try to ignore the searing pain I feel as he sucks my blood.

“Ah, just as I thought! Your blood and the guava juice are the best,” he says, running his tongue down from my neck to my collarbone.

I grit my teeth and bear how awful I feel. I’ve never hated someone more than I hate him.

“Wow, you’ve already become so obedient, that’s almost boring,” Kino says under his breath before biting me again.

I wince, ignoring his words. I’m not simply obeying, I’m just biding my time until I can really fight him back. Still, it’s not so easy to drown him out. The sounds he’s making as he drinks my blood… make me feel strange. It feels indecent to hear a guy’s voice like that and it makes me sick to feel this way.

“Ah, am I interrupting?” I hear Yuri’s voice suddenly speak.

Kino pulls his fangs out of my skin carelessly and I groan in agony.

“Not at all. Hey… Yuri, why don’t you come watch?” Kino asks, licking my blood from his lips.

“What?!” I gasp, looking at Yuri’s face.

I look at him, pleading with my eyes for him to not watch. But he only nods his head.

“If that’s what you want,” he says flatly.

Yuri comes over to the table and focuses his eyes on my face.

“I’ll watch carefully,” he says.

“No… please, stop,” I say to Kino.

“Why? Do you enjoy this kind of thing?” he asks.

“No, that’s not it!” I protest.

“Then, there’s no problem if Yuri watches me drink your blood, right?” Kino asks.

I shake my head, but he doesn’t listen. He pulls my shirt down further, showing my bra. I want him to stop. More than that, I want him to die. Yuri’s eyes stay fixated on me as Kino bites into my chest with a deep moan. I close my eyes, wishing for this to end before things escalate any further. I wonder why Yuri does whatever Kino wants. I crack my eyes open just a bit to look at Yuri’s face. He’s looking at Kino, who is occupied with drinking. I’m not sure if Yuri realizes that I’m looking at him, but I see something flicker over his face. His eye twitches, just for a moment, and it almost looks as if he’s unhappy with something. As if… he wants Kino to stop just like I do. Then, he notices me staring at him and the look vanishes from his face. There’s only an empty look in his gray eyes.

And for the first time since being here, I feel something other than anger or fear.  _Hope_.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "The miserable have no other medicine but only hope," - William Shakespeare (and also Carla Tsukinami but that's for another fic)


End file.
